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Local doctor says young people are suffering from Snapchat Dysmorphia, seeking plastic surgery

Posted: 5:42 PM, Aug 03, 2018

Updated:2018-08-07 12:27:12Z

By:
Austin Carter

A Las Vegas doctor says plastic surgery is on the rise nationwide as more young people are suffering from a new disorder called "Snapchat Dysmorphia."

Dr. Daliah Wachs
says those who suffer from Snapchat Dysmorphia feel that their face or body is flawed, solely based on what they see on social media.

Apps like Snapchat and Instagram allow users to manipulate their photos using filters that can do things like enhance lighting or even slim your face or body.

Dr. Wachs says this is concerning as users can lose touch with reality, feeling that the filtered selfies are how someone should look all the time and think surgery is the answer.

According to Dr. Wachs, the most common minimally invasive cosmetic procedures reported were:

Botulinum Toxin Type A (7.23 million procedures)

Soft Tissue Fillers (2.69 million procedures)

Chemical Peel (1.37 million procedures)

Laser Hair Removal (1.1 million procedures)

Microdermabrasion (740,287 procedures)

“The American Association of Plastic Surgery has seen a huge jump in people requesting both invasive and minimally invasive plastic surgery," says Dr. Wachs. “The plastic surgeon may not even be able to comply and so are you going to be upset before the surgery and after the surgery.”

Snapchat Dysmorphia isn't the first disorder of its kind. Last year Selfitis, the obsession with selfies, was recognized as a genuine mental disorder.

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